Dennis Prager, perhaps best known for his conservative online platform, PragerU, has written commentaries on the five books of the Torah. I discovered from a November 2024 YouTube video that he is a believing Jewish, not Christian. I mention his faith only to highlight his worldview and the foundational perspective that influences his text analysis. I chose to start with Exodus to gain a new understanding of this pivotal book of the Bible that details the first actions between God and his people as a group.  

While many Jewish scholars write commentaries on the Old Testament, the ones I’ve encountered have not focused on the covenant relationship between God and His people as it still applies today. He says the book is written “for people of every faith, and for people of no faith” (Prager 2018, xvii). He argues that regardless of a person’s faith, the moral guidance that the Torah provides to any reader has intrinsic value.

I appreciate many aspects of Prager and his commentary, including his approach of not trying to impose the concept of the Trinity into Old Testament text and his inclusion of mini-essays on various topics. Prager is able to read the original text and discuss translations into English. When he thinks it’s applicable, he will explain why he thinks a better translation may be available. The book is a verse-by-verse commentary with the bible verses printed above the commentary text. With the text and the commentary together, a reader could read from start to finish or go directly to the verses of interest. The scriptural text is from the 1985 New JP Translation. Not every verse in Exodus has commentary, but a large part of the first thirty-five books do. Mini-essays are worked into the commentary, addressing related issues in the text throughout the book. The essays have varying lengths of a couple of lines to multiple pages and span a range of topics that often address issues that contemporary readers. Found early in the text is an example of “Moral Absolutes, Moral Relativism, and Situational Ethics” (Prager 2018, 14). A lengthy essay later addresses “False Gods” (Prager 2018, 227-238).

However, my main criticism of his commentary is that Prager’s tone can sometimes be overly apologetic when discussing the biblical text and its characters. As a descendant of the exiles and a recipient of the promise made to Abraham and his lineage, he seems to strive to portray them in the best light possible, which can lead to a less critical analysis of specific issues, such as slavery and murder. Prager is also very aware of social issues and will point out how the Torah is a socially attuned text when it may differ from the cultural customs in favor of social views currently held. An example of the social focus can be found on page 19, addressing the role of women in Moses’ life.

With all of the great things, and as much as I like Denis Prager, I would be hesitant to recommend this commentary in multiple scenarios. Most readers of the Bible have not spent much time in the book of Exodus. The extent of additional books that are referenced is likely limited to just one. There are better commentaries to ensure that the critical message from the text is extracted. When multiple commentaries have been consulted, and there is an interest in understanding the text from a non-traditional Christian standpoint, this commentary may shine.

Prager, Denis. Exodus: God, Slavery, and Freedom. The Rational Bible. Washington: Regnery Faith, 2018.

05/16/2025 – Updated with the web link to YouTube